Display card holder



Aug. 23, 1932. G 5 MALCOLM 1,873, 511

DISPLAY CARD HOLDER Filed Dec; 28, 1931 INVENTOR (i S. Mal (-ollh BY $2.3m

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1932 enonsr: s. MALCOLM, or AUBUR CALIFORNIA p DISPLAY can-n inonnna Application filed December 28, 1931. Serial No. 58$,ft43.

This invention relates to devices for holding display cards and particularly to onees- .pecially designed to hold the price cardsor tags in connection with shelves on which merchandise is displayed for sale, as for intance in the so-called self-help groceries and similar retail stores.

The principal object of my invention'lis to provide a device for the purpose by means Io of which the cards or tags will be rigidly held against the front of the shelf insuch a manner that while they are fully visible to the purchaser they are not in the way of and will not be disturbed by the withdrawal "of any 1:- article; from theshelf. The holders are also constructed so thatithe cards or tags may be easily placed in position, removed, or adjusted at any point along the shelf. The alteration or rearrangement of the price tags necessitated by changes in the prices of the goods or the rearrangement of the same .on the shelves, may be easily efi'ected by the clerks. The device is also extremely neat in appear anoe and forms a permanent attachment to 2- the'shelves which need never be disturbed and which is not in the way even if it is not'actually being used.

At the same time the devices can be applied to the shelves without making any changes to the latter or removed without leaving any scars or visible indication of their previous use.

Also, any size price tags or othercards, or

special signs, can be held by my device with 35 equal facility.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement-of parts as will. fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and ClfrilZS.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a store shelf arrangement showing my improved price card holders mounted in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section. of a holder as mounted ona shelf. i V

Fig. 3 isa bottom plan view'of a holder at- I tache'd toa shelf.

7 Referring now more particularly to'the 1 I characters of reference on the drawing, the

numeral 1, denotes a merchandise supporting shelf on which the goods 2'of various kinds are supported in segregated order as. usual and as indicated in Fig. 1. w V 9 The card holder for any one shelf coniprises a strip 3 extending lengthwiseiof and under the shelf adjacent itslforward edge. Said strip has an upstanding lipv 4; along the entire length of the same which extends in $6. vfront ofothe front edge of'the shelf'and'overlaps the lower 'portionjofsaid edge; The

holder strip'and lip are preferably formed integral with each other and may be made of wood, metal or other sultable material; -79

and may bemade ofa length to extend the I full; length of any shelf between its vertical partitions or supports, or in a number of sections for each shelf.

Each strip3 is held in close butnon-bind- Z ingengagement with the bottom surfaceof the shelf by means of screws 5 projecting through slots 6 out through said strips at spaced intervals in its length, and secured in the shelf from underneath; The screw -30.

heads? "engage rigid plates 8 whichi'cover. the slots and engage the adjacent area of the underside of the strip 3 surrounding the slots. Said plates preferably have upstanding flanges 9 at their back edges engaging the back edge of the strip 3 so that said plates cannot turn. i i I Thefianges also hearagainst the bottom of the shelf, so that the plates, and consequentlythe screw heads, are prevented from binding the holder strip. x

V The striois therefore mounted for sliding movement transversely of the shelf and is normally retracted,' so that the lip 4: is frictionally pressed against the front edge of the shelf by springs of any suitable type, mounted-ofcourse under the shelf/f In .the-ipresent instance the'springs 10 are shown as be ing of the fiat leaf type extending length wiseof the holder andridisposed in .theslots l invention as set forth herein.

' iii) 6. One end of each spring bears against the back side of the corresponding screw while the opposite end is tightly fittedv in a slit 11 in the holder strip at one end of the slot. .As stated, any other suitable type of spring may be used for the purpose as long as it functions to pull the lip 4 against the shelf. The form shown however has the advantage of'simplicity of constructionand the springs remain in their proper place in the holder when the latter is installed or removed, and are concealed and protected by the plates 8.

By means of this arrangement it will be seen that any number of pricecards or tags 12v of equal thickness may be supported by any one holder at whatever'position in the length of the shelf, may be desirable, the lower edgesof the tags being firmly gripped between the lip 4 and the front edge of the shelf. To insert or remove any tag it" is only necessary to engage the back of the holder with the fingers and pull outwardly, so

that the resistance of the'springs is over come: and thelip is moved away from the shelf so as to disengage the tags. Only a slight movement of the holder is necessary to effect the release of the tags so 'that if it is desired to replace one tag the others in the same'holder will not be displaced or fall out.

From the foregoingdescription it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills'the'objects 'of the While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of thefdevice, still'inpractice such deviations from such detail maybe resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the 'inthe shelf. and overlapping the front edge of the same, means movably mounting said holder on the shelf and resilient means coacting with the first mentioned means maintain said lip in pressing engagement withsaid shelf edge. i

2. A card holder for use in connection with a shelf including a lip to extend'lengthwise of the shelf and overlap the front edge of the same, a strip rigid with the lip and adapted to project under the shelf, means to support said strip against the under side of the 1 shelffor movement transversely thereof, and

spring means acting on the strip to hold the lip against saidshelf-edge.

A card holder for use in connection with a shelf including a lip to extend lengthwise of the shelf and overlap the front edge of v the same, astrip rigid with the lip and adapt-- ed to project under the shelf, strip supportto the front edge of the shelf.

4. combination with a shelf, a card holder mounted in connection with said shelf and including a lip extending lengthwiseof the "shelf and overlapping the front edge of the same, astrip rigid with the lip and projecting under the shelf, strip supporting screws mounted in and'depend-ing from the pull the lip against the front edge of the jshelf. f

shelf, said screws projecting through longitudinallyspaced slots in the strip and ar-' ranged to permit of transverse'movement of the strip relative to the shelf and screws, and flat springs extendinglengthwiseofthe strip; said springs being disposed between the top andbottom surfaces of the'stripand secured at one end to the strip and at the other end projecting into the slots and engaging-the sides ofthe corresponding screws opposite 5. A 'card holderfor use in connection with a shelf lncluding' a base member adapted to lie against one face of the shelf, a lip on said 1 memberiadapted to overhang the front edge of the shelf, means to mount saidmember on the shelf formovement transversely thereof, and means acting on the member to move the same transversely of the shelfin a direction to yieldably hold the lip against said edge of the shelf. 7 In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

r GEORGE S. MALCOLM. 

